TL;DR
Indigenous Youth Roots joins humanitarian, civil society, faith and labour organizations in calling for a ceasefire.
Details
Indigenous Youth Roots is deeply alarmed by the escalating violence unfolding in Palestine and Israel and has joined an ad hoc coalition of over 200 other humanitarian, civil society, faith and labour organizations in calling for a ceasefire.
We envision a future where Indigenous youth are empowered and connected as dynamic leaders in vibrant and thriving communities, and this means that we cannot remain silent in the face of human rights violations, the violence of colonization, imperialism, and genocide. Solidarity is one of the 7 deeply held principles that guide us in our work and in the way in which we relate to each other, and this means we must stand up for the freedom, safety, self-determination, and rights of other communities when they are at risk.
We grieve the loss of the thousands of Palestinians and Israelis who have been killed and injured. We are also horrified at the rise in hate speech, antisemitism, and Islamophobia that has been happening globally. Jewish safety and Palestinian freedom are not opposing causes, and we unequivocally condemn any attempts to position them as so. We stand with all our Palestinian, Arab, and Jewish relatives experiencing violence, hate, and discrimination. Solidarity means that we refuse to let the forces that seek to divide us erase our shared humanity.
To the IYR community, witnessing the violence unfolding in real-time can be an overwhelming and debilitating experience. We would like to urge you to care for your minds, bodies, and spirits while fighting for justice.
In love and solidarity,
Indigenous Youth Roots
